Scaffolding



Patented June 29, 1943 UNITED sures Artur 2,323,195. 'SCAFFOLDING Farris 0'. Bouchillon, Chattanooga, Tenn. Application August 30, 1941, Serial No. 409,104

2 Claims.

My invention relates to scaffolding and more particularly to devices for joining pieces of scaffolding together to form a strong supporting structure with a minimum of elements.

In the prior art of building and painting buildings, houses, walls and the like, it has generally been the practice to construct the scaffolding entirely of wood and to secure the pieces together by means of nails. This required almost as much time and expense as the time or cost of painting a building, erecting a wall or doing whatever other work which necessitated the scafiolding. In taking down such scaffolding a great many of its pieces were injured in the removal or disengagement of the nails and a great deal of additional time was required.

Applicant with a knowledge of all of these defects in and objections to the prior art has for an object of his invention the provision of a scafiolding secured together by a coupling made from a single piece of material.

Applicant has as another object of his invention the provision of a scaffolding made up of upright and cross pieces detachably joined through a coupling device providing support for cross pieces on all sides thereof.

Applicant has as another object of his invention the provision of scaffolding detachably joined through connecting devices which provide a complete support for each cross piece at the point of juncture.

Applicant has as a still further object of his invention the provision of scaffolding which may quickly and easily be assembled and taken down without injury to the various pieces thereof.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will appear from the following specification and accompanying drawing and the novel features thereof will be pointed out in the annexed claims.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a fragmental perspective of my improved scaffolding. Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the center of one of my improved couplings or sleeves looking towards one of the rear faces. Figure 3 is a fragmental plan view of a cross member having my improved connecting elements thereon. Figure 4 is a perspective of a modified form of connecting element in position on a cross member.

Referring to the drawing in detail, I designates the body of a connector sleeve or coupling adapted to telescope over the ends of vertical or upright pieces 9, Il! of wood or other material and join them. These vertical pieces may be of any desired cross-section and size but are preferably 2" x 2" or 4" x 4"; on one set of opposite sides, preferably in the central portion are wings 5, 5 struck inwardly along line I6 leaving windows 6, 6 therein. These wings 5, 5 act as stops or supports for a, central partition element I which is inserted into one end of the sleeve I and welded to the sleeve along its inner faces at 8.

Struck outwardly from the four faces of the sleeve I along lines I5, I5 leaving windows 4, 4 are fingers having horizontally extending portions I4, I4 and upstanding or vertical portions 3, 3.

In the faces where the wings 5, 5 are struck inwardly the fingers are above the wings while in the other opposite sides they are below the wings 5, 5. The positioning of these fingers may, however, be reversed, if it is desired, but it is of importance that the fingers in difierent sets of opposed sides be offset with respect to each other. In this way the cross pieces may extend from the various fingers without interfering with each other.

The sleeve I is preferably made of sheet material, being coiled or formed to the proper shape and the free edges welded along the line 2 or otherwise secured together. By making this of sheet material the fingers 3, I4 and wings 5 may be conveniently pressed or punched out.

It will be noted that the fingers are not shown dotted in on the rear faces of the sleeve of Figure 1, but this omission is'for clarity, and the full showing of thefingers 3, I 4 in both rear faces is made very clearly in Figure 2.

Each cross piece or ledger I2 shown in detail in Figure 3 has a channel shape connector element II mounted thereon through screws or nails I3 adjacent each end, and a modified form'of the. same connector is shown in Figure 4 with flanges I8 turned back at the upper and lower ends or edges for engagement with the faces of member I2 which is preferably of wood, and having screws I9 or other securing means passing therethrough to secure it to the cross members.

As shown in Figure 1 these connectors II interlock with fingers 3, I4 and may act as the flanges [8 take part of the load and reduce the 2. A scaffolding structure of the character destress on screws l9. scribed comprising upright pieces and cross Having thus described my invention, I claim: pieces, a sleeve adapted to telescopically receive 1. A scafiolding structure of the character dethe adjoining ends of the upright pieces, fingers scribed comprising upright pieces and cross 5 struck outwardly from the sides of said sleeve pieces, a one piece tubular sleeve for telescoping and extending upwardly in off-set relation to said over the ends of adjacent upright pieces, wings sides forming hangers to receive the ends of said struck inwardly from said sleeve intermediate its cross pieces, and channel shape connectors carlength, a transverse partition positioned within i'ied by the ends of said cross pieces for intersaid. sleeve and secured against said wings for en- 10 locking engagement with said fingers, said congagement with the ends of the upright pieces, nectors having outwardly projecting flanges overfingers struck outwardly from the sides of said flapping opposite side edges of the fingers to resleeve and extending upwardly, and connectors 'tain the cross pieces against longitudinal moveon the cross pieces for interlocking engagement ment.

with said fingers to support said cross pieces. 15' FARRIS 0. BOUCHILLON. 

